What McGroarty is doing is no different than most NCAA players now. They know if they don't sign by a certain date, they can call their shot, so right off the bat they have a certain amount of leverage in the situation.
We see it every spring with the crop of unsigned NCAA free agents. They have multiple suitors and they demand A) The team essentially "burn" a year of the contract to allow for a quicker big payday, and B) Some assurances of when they will be in the NHL, where they will slot in the line-up, role, etc. often wanting that to occur right after they sign.
McGroarty is basically acting like a free agent now, because when it reality he kind of is given the loop-hole available to him. He's just playing the game within the rules.